In the second cycle, the result of classroom observation showed that 80.64 of the students were active in the first meeting. In the second meeting,
82.35 of the students were categorized as active participants during the teaching and learning process. Therefore, the average percentage of the students who were
actively participated in the teaching and learning process in the second cycle was 81.49. It can be concluded that the result of classroom observation had achieved
the target of the research. Additionally, the result of reading test showed that as many as 25 students or 83.33 who achieved the reading test targeted score that
was 70 or higher. This result indicated that the action in the second cycle had been successful in achieving the target of the research. Finally, the cycle was stopped.
4.3 Discussion
Based on the results of the implementation of the action, in general, the
students’ active participation can be described as follows: after giving the action in the first cycle, the students’ active participation average result was 42.64. It
indicated that the result had not achieved the target criteria of the research. The
next, in the second cycle
, the students’ active participation average score was
81.49. This result proved that the action in the second cycle were successful due
to an achievement research target criteria. Thus, the students’ active participation
could be improved by using Semantic Mapping technique. The result of
students’ reading comprehension achievement was improved after applying the Semantic Mapping technique. In the preliminary study, the data
showed that as many as 20 of the students 7 students out of 35 students got score 70 or higher. After the implementation of the action in the first cycle, there
were 50 or 15 students out of 30 students who got the score 70 or higher. This result indicated that it had not achieved the research target score criteria. Then, in
Cycle 2, there were 25 students out of 30 students or 83.33 who got the score ≥70. It means that the result in Cycle 2 had reached the research target because the
researcher had revised several aspects in the process of teaching reading and lastly the better result was gained. Referring to the results above, it can be said that the
use of the Semantic Mapping technique could improve the students’ reading
comprehension achievement.
Considering the result of classroom observation, it can be said that the use of Semantic Mapping technique could mo
tivate the students’ active performance and interest in the process of teaching and learning. The finding was in line with
McNeil ’s 1992:34 argument that “Semantic Mapping is one of the effective
teaching devices for activating appropriate background knowledge ”. In Cycle 2,
when the students did Task 2 and Task 3 which were creating and completing the Semantic Mapping, the students were continuously asking for suggestion andor
guidance from the teacher. During this activity, they got more information as they actively recall their prior knowledge in order to finish their Semantic Mapping. In
addition, the familiarity of the topic had a great effect on the students’ Semantic
Mapping. The more familiar the topic is, the better Semantic Mapping was made. It might happen because their background knowledge helped them complete the
Semantic Mapping. The teachers’ decision to use various shapes or various colors in making
the Semantic Mapping made the students were not only able to recognize the different types of information but also build their thinking ability in a visual way
see Appendix Y, page 153. The finding was in line with Langan’s 2011 arguments that Semantic Mapping is a technique that can be used to help readers
to build their thinking activity in a visual way which allows the readers to sketch ideas loosely and see the relationships between sub points and components of
ideas graphically. Besides, according to Barron 1979 as stated in Sam and Rajan
2013:157 by designing Semantic Mapping, the students will motivate themselves in the process of reading comprehension as they come out with their
own Semantic Mapping, so their thinking skills will be developed. Additionally, Semantic Mapping technique made the students becomes active readers as they
read and reread the reading text to create the map and add text to the shapes. The evidence was the students were able to fill in the information correctly to the
shapes they had created as Task 2 and Task 3, because they knew which were the topic, subtopics, and the details. They also demonstrated their confidence in
completing the Semantic Mapping, so the results of their Semantic Mapping were categorized as good, besides they worked faster in Cycle 2 as compared to Cycle
1. Thus, the use of Semantic Mapping technique made the VII-A grade students became active participants during the lesson in the reading class.
Regarding the result of reading comprehension achievement, it was indicated that Semantic Mapping technique was successful in improving the VII-
A grade students’ reading test. This occurrence can be proved by those students who created the Semantic Mapping completely in the second cycle see Appendix
V, W, X, Y; page 150, 151, 152, 153, showed that they got the reading test score ≥70 see Appendix Q, page 144. It means that the students’ problem in
comprehending reading aspects such as word, sentence, paragraph and text comprehension could be solved through creating Semantic Mapping in Task 2 and
Task 3. It happened because Semantic Mapping worked well in organizing the information of the reading text. As McWorther 2010:122 says that Semantic
Mapping is an effective technique because it easily allows the readers to gather information and organize the thoughts and it will help them to see how the ideas
fit together. To organize the information, the students should follow the certain pattern that was using the variety of shapes or colors in order to make them easily
found the differences between topic, subtopics and details. Moreover, in Cycle 2, the students had improved in some types of questions compared to Cycle 1.
Therefore, using Semantic Mapping was effective in reading questions like 1 identifying the synonyms and antonyms, 2 finding some sentences that
expressed about the generic structure rhetorical step, 3 identifying the main idea, supporting details, and topic, 4 identifying the purpose of the text, and 5
making conclusion of the reading text. Based on the affective aspects, the researcher and the English teacher had
drawn some results that will be explained in the followings: a The students were enthusiasm in joining the English lesson. It can be seen
from their conduct and response in the process of teaching and learning. They were not crowded anymore and tended to listen to the teacher’s explanation.
The teacher’s questions were answered as good as possible by using
Indonesian and English language. It indicated that their self-confidence increased. This condition was able to make them have the courage to explore
and express their ideas.
b The students could identify the information of a descriptive text covering word, sentence, paragraph and text better and quicker in the second cycle
rather than that in the first cycle. I t means that the students’ understanding of
the reading text was good. Therefore, the students’ reading test score improved.
c The students became more active while working in group. This occurrence was proved by the students’ behavior as long as they joined the English
lesson. For example, they were having a discussion about the tasks while working with their members in group; the ideas, information and knowledge
were shared together. Additionally, group activities made the students were reinforced by their
peer’s feedback and possibly for correcting each other of what they gathered from the reading; and gave them opportunity to find ideas
in a larger range, more complete and faster than an individual can do. This research findings supported the result of classroom action research
undertaken by Setyani 2010 which showed that the use of Semantic Mapping technique could make the students easily find main ideas, supporting details and
information from the Semantic Mapping they had made because it helped them to organize the information well. Additionally, the class atmosphere was more relax
as the students became more active and motivated in joining the reading activity. Another study conducted by Supriadi 2010 at SMPN 1 Panti Jember, proved
similar results. According to his study the students mostly worked together in making Semantic Mapping with their group members. T
he teacher’s questions about the lesson were correctly answered after having the discussion with their
peers. Thus, the students were more active in discussion, resulting in their ability to answer the questions based on the text, and more importantly they became
active readers. Semantic Mapping was the first technique applied in the VII-A grade
reading class. Some revisions were made by the teachers to make the students more understood and achieved the target score successfully. Instead of avoiding
the students to copy their mates’ Semantic Map, group activity made the students having the chance to share the ideas and then the teaching and learning process
was done effectively. By using the variety of shapes in Cycle 2, the students were
not only able to recognize the different types of information topic, subtopics, and details, but also got the reading test score 70 or higher. By considering the
problems in conducting this research, some suggestions were drawn to be noticed by the researchers who want to conduct the same research. First, make sure that
the topics are familiar to the students. Second, the teacher has to give the example to create the Semantic Mapping as clearly as possible, such as by using various
shapes to differentiate topic, subtopics and details. Third, ask the students to work in group while creating the map. Last, the way how to create the Semantic
Mapping should be explained by directly showing the way how it is created from the beginning and make sure students could see how the Semantic Mapping
’s progress.
By considering the result of the first cycle and the second cycle, the conclusion of this research was the use of the Semantic Mapping technique was
able to improve the VII-A grade students’ active participation and their reading
comprehension achievement. The results verified the action hypotheses saying that:
1. The use of Semantic Mapping technique can improve the VII- A students’
active participation in the reading class at SMPN 3 Rambipuji Jember. 2. The use of Semantic Mapping technique can improve the VII-
A students’ reading comprehension achievement at SMPN 3 Rambipuji Jember.
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CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
Based on the analysis of the data and the discussion of the research results,
the conclusion can be drawn and some suggestions can be useful for the involved people. This chapter presents the conclusion and suggestion that are explained in
these following sections.
5.1 Conclusion
Based on the results of the data analysis, the conclusions were drawn as follows:
1. The use of Semantic Mapping technique could improve the VII-A grade
students’ active participation in the classroom during the teaching learning
process of reading descriptive text comprehension at SMPN 3 Rambipuji Jember in the 20142015 academic year. The improvement could be seen from
the results of observation in the first cycle which showed that as many as 42.64 of the students who actively participated in the class during the
teaching learning process, while there were 81.49 students who actively took apart in the process of teaching and learning of the second cycle. Thus,
the use of Semantic Mapping te chnique was able to increase the students’
active participation in the reading class as many as 38.85. 2. The use of Semantic Mapping technique could improve the VII-A grade
students’ reading comprehension achievement at SMPN 3 Rambipuji Jember in the 20142015 academic year. The improvement could be seen from the
results of reading test in each cycle which was compared with the students’
reading score before the action was implemented. The percentage of the students’ reading test results improved from 20.58 to 50 in Cycle 1 and
from 50 to 83.33 in Cycle 2. Regarding the discussion of the research results, the conclusions were
drawn in the followings: 1. Semantic Mapping technique works well to activate appropriate background
knowledge during the teaching and learning process.
